The nationalised British Railways inhereted a substantial stock of steam locomotives from it's consistent companies. However, it was still necessary to replace many worn-out and obsolete machines before the change over to diesel's could take place. To this end a range of standard locomotives were produced and the first of the BR standards number 70000 Britnania appeared in 1951.
Members of this class were used on the famous named express trains of their day, including the "Golden Arrow" of the Southern region. The ultimate express passenger locomotive design in Great Britain was the solitary BR Class 8P 4-6-2 no 71000 Duke of Gloucester. Both 70000 & 71000 survive today and are featured in this programme.
Alongside these two engines is a large amount of archive footage of the standard's at work in the 1950's and 1960's. Other British Railways classes appeared on express trains although not strictly express engines, especially the last steam locomotive of all. BR 9F 2-10-0 no 92220 Evening Star, which although was a freight engine was famous for working trains such as the "Pines Express" and in preservation outings to Scarborough.
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14 окт 2024
